China to offer 50,000 tonnes of fuel to North Korea
Monday, 6 August 2007
SEOUL, Aug 5 (AFP): China will offer 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil to North Korea this month under the second phase of an aid-for- disarmament nuclear agreement on the communist state, a report said today.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unnamed diplomatic source as saying the planned Chinese aid would be the main agenda for a six-nation energy working group meeting to open here this week.
South Korea, China, the United States, Russia and Japan agreed in February to give energy-starved North Korea one million tons of fuel oil or equivalent aid in return for Pyongyang disabling its nuclear weapons programmes in phases.
Under the first phase, North Korea has already shut down and sealed its Yonbyon plutonium-producing facilities in return for an initial shipment of 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil from South Korea.
To move on to the second phase for the North to declare and disable all its nuclear facilities, the other five countries should offer the remaining 950,000 tons of oil.
In parallel, the six nations should also discuss other diplomatic and security concessions to North Korea.
"We understand China will begin providing 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil to the North in mid August," the unnamed source told Yonhap. "A working group dealing with energy and economic aid slated for August 7- 8 in Panmunjeom will decide on detailed measures of the provision."
Seoul officials were not immediately available for comment.
Yonhap said China had wanted to ship the oil to create a favorable atmosphere for North Korea to move on to the second phase of the February pact.
North Korea has confirmed its commitment to the agreement, but its chief negotiator said following the latest six-nation talks last month that it needs a light-water reactor in order to dismantle all its nuclear facilities.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unnamed diplomatic source as saying the planned Chinese aid would be the main agenda for a six-nation energy working group meeting to open here this week.
South Korea, China, the United States, Russia and Japan agreed in February to give energy-starved North Korea one million tons of fuel oil or equivalent aid in return for Pyongyang disabling its nuclear weapons programmes in phases.
Under the first phase, North Korea has already shut down and sealed its Yonbyon plutonium-producing facilities in return for an initial shipment of 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil from South Korea.
To move on to the second phase for the North to declare and disable all its nuclear facilities, the other five countries should offer the remaining 950,000 tons of oil.
In parallel, the six nations should also discuss other diplomatic and security concessions to North Korea.
"We understand China will begin providing 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil to the North in mid August," the unnamed source told Yonhap. "A working group dealing with energy and economic aid slated for August 7- 8 in Panmunjeom will decide on detailed measures of the provision."
Seoul officials were not immediately available for comment.
Yonhap said China had wanted to ship the oil to create a favorable atmosphere for North Korea to move on to the second phase of the February pact.
North Korea has confirmed its commitment to the agreement, but its chief negotiator said following the latest six-nation talks last month that it needs a light-water reactor in order to dismantle all its nuclear facilities.